Head actuating mechanism for dummies



Jan. 25, 1955 T. WILLIAMS HEAD ACTUATING MECHANISM FOR DUMMIES Filed Feb. 6, 1952 United States Patent() HEAD ACTUATING MECHANISM FOR DUMMIES Todd Williams, Cincinnati, Ohio Application February 6, 1952, Serial No. 270,195

1 Claim. (Cl. 46-232) This invention relates to dummies or puppets, and more particularly to electrical means for actuating the movable jaw of a dummy, puppet, or the like.

An object of the invention is to provide simple yet highly effective means for actuating the movable jaw of a dummy, puppet, or the like from and in response to electrical impulses induced by actual speech, whether direct, recorded or transmitted.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for actuating the movable jaw of a dummy, puppet, or the like whereby to simulate actual pronunciation of words having one or more syllables.

These and other objects are attained by the means described in the specification and as disclosed in the accompanying drawing, in which the figure of the drawing is a schematic drawing of the mechanical and electrical elements comprising the present invention.

With reference to the drawing, the numerals and 12 denote a source of modulated electrical currents and contemplate such currents whether from a microphone, voice coil of the speaker circuit of a radio, recording, etc. In any event, whatever the source of electrical energy, it is of such nature as to actuate the speech coil of loudspeakers 14 and 16.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention a double pole double throw switch 18 is provided for optionally connecting speaker 14 to conductors 10 and 12 through switch arms 20, 22, contacts 24, 26 and conductors 28 and 30; or for connecting speaker 16 thereto through contacts 32, 34 and conductors 36 and 38.

The primary 40 of a transformer 42 is series connected across contacts 24 and 26 by conductors 44 and 46, it being noted that speaker 14 is in a parallel circuit therewith. The current induced within secondary 48 is connected via conductor 50, rectifier 56 to coil 52 of a relay denoted generally by the numeral 54 and conductor 49. A capacitor 58 is connected across conductors 49 and 50 as illustrated.

From the foregoing it will be noted that the armature of the relay solenoid 54 will be actuated downwardly with each sound impulse transmitted to speaker 14. Actuation of the solenoid causes bar 60 to close an electrical circuit between contact points 62 and 64.

The letters A and B denote the head portion of dummies, puppets or other similar devices each having a movable jaw I pivotally connected as at 66. The jaws are normally closed by means of a spring 68.

Actuation of the jaw of device A is accomplished by means of a low voltage current across conductors 80 and 82 as follows: The numeral 84 denotes a low voltage electric motor, such as a horsepower, 6 volt fan motor one side of which is connected by conductor 86 to line 82, the other side being connected by conductor 88 to contact point 64 of relay 54. Contact 62 is connected through meter 90 and switch 92 to line 82 by conductors 94, 96 and 98.

A spool 100 is secured to and carried by the shaft of motor 84, said spool being connected to jaw I as at 102 by a length of flexible cord or the like, 104, whereby the jaw will be lowered each time an electrical impulse reaches motor 84.

I have found that an electric motor such as 84 has certain advantages over a regular solenoid, since the operational characteristics of the motor are absolutely noiseless and no heating up or damage occurs when the motor is energized after the jaw has been pulled to a full open position.

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Spring 68 will promptly retract jaw J to a closed position-in a very normal and lifelike manner when the flow of electrical energy to motor 84 vhas been terminated, even though such interruption be but a fraction of a second.

I have provided simple .yet highly effective means for turning the head A from side to side, causing it to bow and for giving expression to the eyes.

Turning of the head is accomplished by means of a pair of motors and 112, each of which includes a spool or drum 114 connected by a cord, or the like, 116 to a rotatable collar 118 to which the head A is suitably secured.

Motor 110 is connected across lines 80 and 82 by conductors 120, 122, variable resistance 124, switch 126, conductor 128 and switch 130, whereas motor 112 is connected via conductors 86, 132, variable resistance 134, switch 136, conductor 128 and switch 130.

By operating switches 126 and 136 the head may be remotely turned from side to side, the rate of turn being controlled by means of the variable resistances 124 and 134.

Bowing of the head is accomplished by means of motor 150, spool or drum 152, cord, or the like, 154 secured as at 156 to the neck 158 of head A, it being noted that the neck is secured to and carried by plate 160 hinged at 162 to lower plate 164. Plate 164 is secured to the upper portion of collar 118. A spring 166 normally and yieldably urges plates 160 and 164 apart about their hinged connection.

Motor is connected across lines 80 and 82 by means of conductors 170, 172, variable resistance 174, switch 176, conductor 128 and switch 130.

With reference now to device B, which uses modified actuating circuits and operating mechanisms, it will be noted that the primaries 200 and 202 of transformers 204 and 206 are connected in parallelism with the circuit to speaker 16 by means of conductors 208, 210, 212 and 214, respectively. The secondary coils 201 and 203 are connected to coils 216 and 218 of relays 220 and 222 through rectifier 224 and capacitor 226, as illustrated, whereby contact bars 230 and 232 will be lowered into circuit closing relationship with contact points 234-236 and 238240, respectively, each time an electrical impulse passes through lines 36 and 38.

A source of power from lines 800 and 820 may be passed through primaries 242 and 244 of transformers 246 and 248, the secondaries 250 and 252 of which are utilized to actuate motors 254 and 256.

Motor 256 is the jaw actuating means the electrical circuit to which is controlled by relay 222, conductor 258, 260, 262 and secondary coil 250.

Head B is secured to a rotatable shaft 270 which is caused to oscillate by means of levers 272 and 274 pivotally connected at 273 from the rotary motion of gear 276 driven by pinion 278 in shaft 280 of motor 256. This motor is simultaneously energized via secondary 252, conductor 282, relay 230, conductors 284 and 286 each time motor 254 is energized, whereby head B will be slowly turned first in one direction and then in another direction in an imperceptible step-by-step manner as the jaw is actuated.

In actual operation of the device an operator by manipulating switch 18 will cause first one and then the other of heads A and B to become actuated.

In head B the head turning mechanism is synchronized with and actuated by the same electrical impulses which energize the speaker 16 and jaw motor 254; whereas in head A all head motions are manually controlled except the jaw movement.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention 1 have provided artificial eyes 300 in head A and behind each eye I have located an incandescent lamp 302 connected by conductors 304, 308, switch 310, variable resistance 312, conductor 94 to line 82, and through conductor 306 to line 80. The eyes will thus be lit up whenever switches 92 and 310 are closed and the intensity of illumination determined by resistance 312.

It should, of course, be understood that if desired suitable filtering means may be utilized, in lieu of switching means 18, for automatically discriminating frequencies whereby frequencies within one range will be automatically impressed upon speaker 14 and head A, whereas frequencies within another range will be automatically impressed upon speaker 16 and head B.

It should be understood that various changes in the structural details of the device may be made, within the scope of the appended claim, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

In combination with the head of a dummy figure having a jaw portion pivoted for movement between open and closed positions, spring means connected to said portion normally to urge the same into closed position, a loudspeaker, and a circuit connected to said loud-speaker for energizing the same in accordance with electrical speech signals, a relay connected for energization from said circuit to close its normally open contacts, a

rotary motor having a shaft and a spool secured on said shaft, a flexible cord secured at one end to said jaw portion and wrapped around said spool, whereby energization of said motor pulls said cord to move said jaw portion toward open position against the tension of said spring means, and separate circuit means for energizing said motor upon closure of the contacts of said relay, whereby said jaw portion is moved in accordance with the time duration of signals in said circuit.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,270,142 Robinson Jan. 13, 1942 2,307,296 Peyton Jan. 5, 1943 2,558,490 Koci June 26, 1951 2,603,912 Gruber July 22, 1952 

